There is a demand for analytical systems that can be used in medical facilities having clinical laboratories such as hospitals, hospital satellite laboratories, outpatient clinics, and physician offices for performing analytical assay procedures. These medical facilities have need of cost effective methods to perform analytical tests and have need of shorter test result turnaround time to improve the quality and efficiency of patient treatment.
Various clinical analyzers used for chemical, immunochemical and biological testing of samples, such as cytometry and lateral flow immunoassays, are available for the determination of analytes. These clinical analyzers often involve a number of sequential steps in the testing procedures and can be difficult to use. Also, devices such as these can be costly and do not provide for quick removal of the liquid samples, resulting in a labor-intensive analytical procedure, and slow test result turnaround time. An example of such a known reaction vessel for detecting analytes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,075.
Therefore, there is a need for an analytical system that can be simply and efficiently operated, with high sample throughput. Such a combined system would decrease operating expenditures such as labor costs, and the cost of training employees to operate complex analyzer systems. Further, a system that can be simply operated is less likely to be subject to clinical errors and will result in higher accuracy of test results, thereby improving the quality of patient care.